NORFOLK (NNS) -- The Fleet Readiness Enterprise (FRE), led by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, is a Navywide effort to improve financial, training, maintenance and operational policies to deliver maritime forces ready for tasking.

The FRE, pronounced "free," uses collaboration to maximize the Navy's warfighting capabilities. For instance, it aims to incorporate small changes early to prevent major changes later that could impact ships' schedules and Sailors' lives. To accomplish this, the FRE identifies units at risk early enough to take action and avoid last minute ship schedule changes.

The proactive approach of FRE ensures Sailors have the time and resources available to accomplish the mission without impacting their quality of life.

"The FRE facilitates needed collaboration and has been effective in informing decisions which commanders must make regarding fleet operations and the readiness of maritime forces for global assignment," said Vice Adm. Mel Williams Jr., U.S. 2nd Fleet commander.

The FRE integrates the activities of five warfare enterprises, the fleet training domain and providers. The warfare enterprises include naval aviation, surface warfare, undersea, naval NETWAR/FORCEnet and Navy expeditionary combat. Training domains, led by the commanders of U.S. 2nd and U.S. 3rd Fleet, train and certify forces to meet combatant commander demands.

The providers, including Navy Total Force, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Facilities Command, Naval Supply Command, Office of Naval Research, Naval Installations Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and Bureau of Naval Medicine, own the processes and infrastructure that support the development of ready forces.

The FRE program touches every facet of maritime operations within the Navy.

"A lot of the Sailors at the deckplate level will have the resources in order to be able to execute the mission," said Cmdr. Nathan J. Elder, a U.S. Fleet Forces Command strategic planner. "It helps them do their job be it training, manning, equipment [or]resources. It helps them execute the mission and get the job done."

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